The Games We Play
by Em Dixon
Summary: Sometimes, Zuko and Katara played a game called "no touching". This time, Katara took things to a new level. She would break him. Smut.
1. Chapter 1

Katara yawned and stretched her arms behind her, enjoying the cool breeze from the open window that was pushing away the last of the day's heat. She loved the Fire Nation summers for their beauty and the delicious fruit, but she hated them for their almost oppressive heat. Still, the heat was worth it for these wonderfully breezy evenings, especially right after a nice bath, when she could walk around her room, naked and damp, letting the wind cool her until she broke out in gooseflesh.

Or, on nights like tonight, curl up with a good book and pretend to read as she watched her perfectly sculpted and dripping wet husband smooth his hair back before going for a towel to wrap around his waist. If he could find one. Katara didn't hide her smirk. She did always love it when he steamed himself dry.

"What happened to all the towels?"

Katara shrugged, pretending to read her book, even though she knew Zuko wasn't fooled. He stood in front of her, hands on his hips, trying to give her a stern look. As if that would do any good. Still, she pretended to play innocent and flip another unread page.

"Katara?"

"I don't know," she said with a too casual shrug. "Maybe you should just…steam yourself dry."

She licked her lips as he sighed and the air around him heated up. She watched the tendrils of steam curl off his skin and dissipate into the air. For the thousandth time, she wondered how it would feel. She fanned herself with her book, and Zuko raised an eyebrow at her, crossing his arms over his muscled chest. Muscles formed from hours of practice. Shirtless. Covered in sweat.

"Long day, huh?"

When he opened his arms to her, it took everything she had not to launch herself at him. Instead, she took her time, pretending to mark the page she was on. She stretched, purposely thrusting her chest toward him, before standing on the bed and taking a few steps before stopping close to the edge. She held her arms out, and with a slight chuckle, Zuko crawled across the bed to her, kissing her stomach as he caressed her thighs.

"How long has it been?"

"About two weeks," Zuko answered between kisses that were getting lower and lower. "Maybe a little longer."

She gasped when he kissed just above that little bud, grabbing a fistful of his hair and pulling him away. She pushed against his shoulder until he laid back, and immediately, Zuko was trying to pull her down on top of him. It had been two weeks since the last time they were alone together and not so tired that they immediately fell asleep. Who even knew how long it would be before they had another chance like this. For all their talk of heirs, the council never seemed to want to leave them alone long enough to take care of business. No, she was absolutely going to make this count, especially if it would have to last her another two weeks.

Zuko raised an eyebrow as she straddled him, his hands trailing hot streaks up her thighs and to her waist, then cupping her bottom as he tried to bring her closer to him. With a devilish smile, Katara laced their fingers together, pulling him away from her.

"Katara, what—"

"No touching," she said, placing little kisses along his neck. "No matter what I do, you are not allowed to touch me."

"Katara, it's been two weeks—"

Any protest he might have been about to make was quickly swallowed by a moan as she ran her tongue along his pulse before kissing and sucking in the places that she knew turned him to putty. His arms twitched with indecision, clearly wanting nothing more than to throw her on the bed and have his way with her. Which was never a bad thing, to be sure, but this time, she would be in complete control, and when she was done, he would thank her for it.

"If you touch me," she said, reaching behind her to give him a long, slow stroke, "I stop."

"You're not going to make it easy this time, are you?"

"Of course not."

It was a game that they played from time to time, one where the only rule was "no touching," and of course the point was to get the other person to break the rule. They usually gave in pretty quickly because half the fun was the touching and the battle for dominance that usually followed, but she'd been curious to see just how far she could push him.

She repositioned herself so that Zuko would be able to feel every move she made, moving centimeter by centimeter, testing each spot with a roll of her hips, knowing she was getting closer and closer to the place he wanted her most. And just before she reached it, she stopped, watching Zuko's face flicker between frustration, need and pleasure. He opened his mouth a couple times as if he wanted to say something, but any thoughts were lost as she ran her hands across her own body, remembering all the ways he'd touched her before, the ways that made her quiver, and the ways that set her on fire. She threw her head back as she rocked her hips, feeling him hard against her backside as her hand trailed lower, stopping at that place he'd kissed earlier.

He was _panting_ , and Katara smiled at him as she licked her lips. Already he was getting warm beneath her, and it wouldn't be long before she was riding a furnace, seeking some relief from that heat. But she had ideas for that, and those ideas would test his strength. Already, he was trying to inch his hands closer and closer to her, as if she wouldn't notice.

"I'm not joking, Zuko," she said, her voice sultry as she bent down to trace the outline of his scar with her tongue. "If you so much as graze me with your hands, I will walk away."

"Katara, come on—"

She made him swallow his protest as she scooted lower, rubbing herself on him, letting him feel her heat and her need, giving him the smallest taste of what he desperately wanted.

"You'll miss out on all the fun if you do."

She emphasized this last point by putting her finger in her mouth and sucking, delighting in his eyes going wide as she blew on it to cool it before making lazy circles on his stomach. Zuko was not a loud moaner, but the moment her cold finger touched his hot skin, he let out a loud moan as he gripped the sheets, and bucked against her, hard. Katara's mind filled with a thousand evil tricks as Zuko looked at her, panicked, no doubt afraid that she would leave, and just to keep him on the edge even more, Katara moved her tongue in zig zags and circles all over his chest, creating intricate patterns before sending a wave of cold air over him. Zuko shuddered and gasped and twisted the sheets in his hands as his body positively _steamed_. He whimpered, trying to say her name several times, and when he finally got the first syllable of her name out, she slid all the way down, taking him in her hand and giving him three long licks from base to tip as she drug her nails along his thigh.

"Please!"

The word burst out of him, clearly unbidden, and Zuko went red from the top of his head down to the middle of his chest. Katara couldn't stop the satisfied smile as she laid her head on his thigh, lazily stroking him, her movements just as casual as if she were stroking his arm. Zuko hastily grabbed a pillow and held it over his face as he let out a decidedly undignified noise, his whole body spasming.

"You know," she said conversationally, "you're doing much better at this than I ever expected."

Zuko peeked at her from under his pillow. He licked his lips and blinked slowly at her.

"I suppose I should reward that."

He nodded vigorously. She planted little kisses along him, and when she reached the top, her mouth not even an inch from him, she gave him the most wicked smile she'd ever given anyone in her life.

"Beg me."

"Katara—"

" _Beg me_."

She could almost see the wheels turning in his head, could almost see him weighing his options as he tightened and relaxed his grip on the pillow. Finally, with a deep sigh, Zuko closed his eyes and gave in, giving her the tiniest "please." Katara rewarded him with a stroke and a kiss, and the next sigh that came out of him was shaky and laden with steam. How much more worked up could she get him? She wanted him bucking like an unbroken ostrich horse and spitting fire like a pissed off dragon.

"Open your eyes," she commanded.

When he did, she rewarded him with another show, slipping her hand between her legs, a quiet "spirits above" escaping her as she realized just how turned on by this whole thing she'd gotten. Zuko was watching her intensely, devouring the sight of her as he propped himself up on his elbows. Katara bit her lip as her own hips jerked and she gripped his thigh as she slipped a finger inside herself. She looked up at Zuko and he almost reached out to her, very eager to help. He almost gave in and reached out to her, but when she shook her head, he set his jaw and looked away. _He looked away_.

"What's the matter?" she asked between little moans as she inserted a second finger.

"Katara please… I…"

His voice was positively shaking, and because he'd said "please," she rewarded him by taking him fully in her mouth, sucking as she stroked, and it knocked him flat on his back, another loud moan escaping as he bucked against her.

"Please—"

And when he begged her again, she held him a little tighter, doing that thing with her tongue that he loved, and another please slipped out, and she picked a slow rhythm, up and down, and he tried for a fourth, but couldn't force it out. For his effort, she picked a quicker pace, and it was like he was trying to rip the sheets in half, doing everything he could not to touch her, to run his hands through her hair like he usually did. A little voice in the back of Katara's mind told her to break him, to pull out all of his favorite tricks, to see just how far she could push him without him giving in, to make him give in.

And why shouldn't she?

By the time Zuko realized what she was doing, he was far beyond words. Katara could see the recognition in his eyes just before they rolled back in his head as she cooled her hand and stroked him with it, his hips bucking against her wildly as he nearly choked on another moan. He grabbed the pillow again, and Katara smirked. He would smother himself in his attempts to keep the noise down. She trailed cold kisses up his body, stopping occasionally to kiss and to suck and to bite, every time expecting to hear a hiss when she cooled her kisses. She paid special attention to those places on his neck that made him twitch uncontrollably, spending so much time there that his gasps sounded like hiccups, and never before had she had such control over his body, and that little voice in the back of her mind questioned why she ever let him top since she was having such fun. She bit down on Zuko's shoulder, then ripped the pillow away from him.

"I want to see your face," she said, gently cupping his cheek.

He was flushed and breathless, his whole body hot. Now she would put him through his toughest test.

"Does it feel good?"

"Agni above, _yes_."

She rewarded him with a stroke.

"You've been very good tonight." Another stroke as she moved back. "Do you want more?"

"Can I touch you, now?"

The need and the primal hunger in his eyes almost broke her. She loved the feel of his hands on her, especially when he got this hot. She loved the way he gripped her, the way he held on to her to keep her from falling. She loved feeling him supporting her as he rammed into her again and again and again. But tonight wouldn't be that kind of night. And maybe the next few nights as well.

"No."

He growled, then, blowing steam from his nostrils, and when he said her name, it was a warning like thunder in his chest. The storm was coming.

"How much do you want it?" she asked, her mouth right by his ear. "I can still leave."

"I've behaved this whole time, haven't I?"

" _Beautifully_."

And because he had, she slid onto him, relishing the feel of him inside of her, her own breath coming in harsh gasps. She wasted no time, not even starting slow, picking a quick pace, because spirits above, she needed this. She needed him. She tossed her head back, not bothering to quiet herself as she worked him, loving the way he felt, loving the closeness and his heat inside her, and she flicked her hips in just the way that drove him insane…

And it broke him. With a primal grunt that sent shivers down her spine, Zuko shoved against her shoulder until she was rolling and he had her pinned beneath him, and she could forgive this transgression against her control this time because _spirits above_ it was driving her wild. His grip on her leg was painful as he rammed into her again and again and again, breathing out puffs of flame. Katara arched into him, clawing at his arms and his back, twisting until he hit the perfect spot inside of her, and she was coming undone because Agni above, ancestors preserve her, taking control away from him made him go insane when he got it back and it was _heaven_. This was the quickest she'd ever reached her release, but her mind was too far gone to think on it, her body completely taking over as she convulsed beneath Zuko, not caring about how loud she was being because this was more than she dreamed it could be.

He moaned her name a thousand times as he finished, his orgasm so strong that he collapsed in top of her, trying and failing several times to shift his weight off of her. Katara wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting to keep him there a little longer, enjoying the way it felt to have him pulsating inside of her. Zuko trembled and gasped, unable to stop shaking, and Katara chuckled as she stroked his hair. Slowly, his breathing returned to normal, and Zuko was able to move and lay next to her.

"Agni above… Agni _above_."

Katara got out of the bed on shaky legs and made her way to the bathroom.

"Hurry up," she called over her shoulder. "You have to bathe me, and then we will discuss your punishment."

"Punishment?" Zuko rubbed his scar as he stood, looking completely floored. "For _what_?"

"You broke my rule, Zuko." Katara smiled at her husband, beckoning him to join her in the bath. "You'll have to be punished for that."

A slow smile spread across his face as he sauntered toward her. Katara swore that didn't delight her exhausted body.

"And what would be the punishment for breaking your rules?"

"I guess you'll have to find out, won't you?"

* * *

A/N: I don't particularly do requests, but this was done for **ObeliskX**. They requested some dom!Katara, with a bit of kink, and this is actually something I've thought about before, though with Zuko as the dom rather than Katara. Once I had the time to write it, this was actually a bit of fun. I don't know how "extreme" I'll take this since I don't exactly see them being quite so into the more hardcore stuff, but I think this would be something new for them. I also realized that I tend to focus on female pleasing than male pleasing, mostly because I'm a woman, but this is going to be a fun ride. And, in typical me fashion, I don't know how to make things short, so this is going to be just a couple chapters. Nothing too involved. Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next week, the hardest thing Katara had to do was concentrate and stay focused on work. As much as she wanted to sit in a quiet corner and daydream about the thousand tortures she could use on Zuko, a thousand and one ways she could drive him mad, she was forced, day after day, to keep her mind on more appropriate topics. In the moments she could spare, though, she formed her plan, struggling with how far to push things, and just how much all of this intrigued her.

Two weeks later, she managed to rearrange their meetings so they had the afternoon off. No meetings, no courts, no public appearances. True, they would still have to drop everything if an emergency arose, but they needed a break. She was enjoying hers in their apartments, leaning on a window ledge that overlooked the private gardens. She'd taken a bath in the middle of the day, something she enjoyed but didn't get to do nearly as much as she wanted. She drummed her fingers on the window ledge, her body tingling with nervousness and excitement.

"We're supposed to take this time to relax, Katara."

She screamed, nearly falling out of her seat, one hand over her heart, the other clutching the ledge for support. With a slight laugh, Zuko held his hand out to her, and she took it, standing and letting him pull her flush against him. It was such a sweet, innocent thing compared to her dirty thoughts. She couldn't help the blush that spread across her face, because Zuko had _no_ idea, but he only chuckled and tilted her face toward his.

His kiss was not innocent. Nor were his hands as they roamed over her body. He held her face as he deepened the kiss, running his tongue along her lips until she opened for him, his hands ghosting down her spine and gliding over the curve of her bottom before he grabbed her. He grunted as he pulled her closer, his kiss becoming rougher, and Katara didn't fight her smile. She would give him a surprise, render him speechless. She would make him beg her like he did the last time, and she would make him worship her.

Between rushed kisses, she helped him out of his shirt, pushing him back toward the bedroom, and when he went to kiss her this time, she only smirked at him and pulled away. This, too, was an old dance they did, and Zuko followed her until he thought he had her pinned with her back against the door. He put his hands on either side of her, his chest heaving as he looked down at her. Katara bit her lip as she arched her back against the door, thrusting her chest at him, and Zuko blinked at her dumbly, his mouth hanging open. Her robe had fallen off her shoulder, revealing part of the tight, sheer lace dress she was wearing. The embroidered waves did little to hide anything from him, and when Zuko reached out to touch the fabric over her nipple, she opened the door behind her and stepped out of his reach. She sauntered over to the bed, putting more sway in her hips than was necessary before undoing the belt on her robe and letting it slide down her body, inch by agonizing inch. She looked over her shoulder to make sure Zuko was watching, and he was, transfixed by the sight in front of him.

"Katara… I… Wow…"

She gave him her best sultry smile as she tugged on the bottom of the dress, pretending like she was trying to cover more of herself. It only reached just past her butt, and might as well have been painted on her, it was so tight. She climbed onto the bed slowly, showing Zuko just how little of her it covered, and he made a whispered a prayer to Agni as she was exposed to him. She sat on the edge of the bed and beckoning to him.

"Come here."

He crossed the room with a few long strides, placing his hands on either side of her and trying to kiss her. Katara leaned back, dodging his kisses until he practically growled in frustration.

"Woman—"

"On your knees."

Zuko smirked, and Katara knew that as much as she was going to push him, he'd do his best to push back. As he pulled away, he drug his fingers along her waist and down her leg, leaving a trail of heat that set her whole body ablaze. She did her best to hold in the moan, forcing her eyes to stay open and focused on him, pretending that she wasn't lusting after him to her very core, breathing deeply, slowly. She put her hair into a hasty topknot before dropping her legs on either side of him. The hardest thing she had to do was pretend that she didn't notice him lick his lips as she moved closer, pretend that she couldn't feel his labored breath on her thighs. She caressed his scarred cheek, and when she moved her thumb over his lips, he kissed it, then nipped it lightly, then kissed it again.

"I think, my dear," she said, trying her hardest not to sound breathless, "you have forgotten who is in control, here."

She leaned forward, putting her chest in his face for longer than was necessary, and removed his crown, placing it in her own hair. Zuko raised an eyebrow in question, but she ignored him, crawling across the bed until she reached the other side. She dug under the bed, making sure to give her husband the best view possible, and pulled out a few lengths of rope and a strip of red silk and headed back.

"Rope? Katara—"

Katara cut off his sentence with a rough kiss, a fistful of his hair in her hands. He tried to fight her for dominance, but with her kneeling on the bed, she was above him, and she dominated. Every time he tried to touch her, she slapped his hand away, and finally having enough, Zuko tried to stand. She had a way to disarm him then, too, moving her kisses down his neck, pulling his hair harder, and he whimpered as his knees buckled when she reached that one spot that she'd discovered years ago. She kissed there, and licked, and his breath came in short gasps, her name a whisper on his lips.

"Behave," she told him, her lips grazing that spot. "Unless you just want me to punish you more."

"Depends on the punishment."

Katara laughed, kissing him chastely on the cheek, before leaning forward and winding the length of rope around Zuko's arms, binding them behind his back.

"Is this part of my punishment?" he asked.

"Yes. Because last time, you couldn't keep your hands to yourself." She tugged on a few sections of the rope, making sure that it wouldn't be easy for him to get out, but still loose enough that it wouldn't hurt him too much. "This way, you won't have that problem."

Zuko laughed, burying his face in her neck. "How can you expect me to keep my hands to myself?"

He was drawing little circles with his tongue, and Katara gasped, digging her fingernails into his shoulder. Spirits above her, she should punish him for this, but it felt so good, and she guided him down her neck to her nipple, and he licked and sucked through the fabric teasing her in the most delightful way, and a thousand more tortures flew through her mind, and she never really wanted this game to end. Suddenly, the few hours they had alone were not enough. Reluctantly, Katara pushed him back as she moved her hand down her body to that place that she wanted him most. It was a struggle to keep her eyes open, to watch him hungrily devour the sight in front of him, to watch him lick his lips as she rubbed herself, to see his own chest heave with his desire as she slipped a finger inside. She bit her lip, watching Zuko already struggling to free his hands, idly musing that this was not what her father had in mind when he taught her how to tie a good knot. The more he struggled, the faster Katara moved, adding in a second finger, and realizing that he wasn't getting his hands free, Zuko gave up, closing his eyes and letting out a few steam laden breaths.

"Open your eyes," she half said, half moaned at him as her hips jerked. "Please me."

The moment her hand was out of the way, Zuko dove into his task, and Katara leaned back, angling her hips to give him access to all the best places, and his tongue was wild inside her, hot and wet and stroking as she bucked against him. Katara didn't try to stifle her moans, practically screaming as he sucked, feeling the tension build in the pit of her stomach as her body began to shake. She held him to her with a fist full of his hair, and he never tried to pull away, obediently rolling his tongue over that sensitive bud, and her release was so close, so close, when she finally pushed him back. He'd robbed her of most of the strength in her arms, but with a sharp tug, she moved him away, and still he fought her to the point that she was worried she would rip out a chunk of his hair. He so hated to leave things unfinished, and to torture him even more, she wouldn't let him finish her.

"Close your eyes," she commanded.

"You already made it so I couldn't touch you—"

"And now you'll just have to listen."

Zuko remained defiant, watching her, almost daring her to do something, but she had a plan for this, and for what she would do if he disobeyed her. When he still refused to close his eyes, she reached for the length of red silk, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

"What rule did I break?"

"None. Now close your eyes."

He hesitated for a moment longer, but did as he was told, closing his eyes, and sitting back. For this, she would reward him. Laying at the edge of the bed and turning her face toward him, so that he could hear every sound she made, Katara went to work, her body already sensitive, pinching her nipple as she slipped her fingers inside herself. It didn't take long for the pressure to build again, and she imagined his hands and his mouth on her, thought of the nights they'd spent together in the past, let herself get lost in a thousand fantasies at once. She arched her back as she moaned, reaching for a place deep inside and finding it. She whimpered his name as she increased her pace, curling the fingers of one hand to reach deep inside her, and using the other to rub that place that made her mad. She exaggerated every sound, delighting in the tension in Zuko's jaw, his struggle to be obedient sending chills down her spine.

"Beg me," she moaned. "Beg me and maybe I'll let you…"

The last word was lost in a moan as she toed the edge of her release, and Zuko begged her, pleaded with her, promised her a hundred things if she would just let him open even one eye. He was nearly breathing fire, sounding as if he was on the verge of tears, but still obedient, his eyes still closed.

"Katara, please, I am begging you—"

"No."

He growled then, sounding furious, but Katara didn't have time to wonder if she'd pushed him too far as heat exploded beside her, and she reached her climax, gripping the sheets in her hand as her body jerked uncontrollably and she screamed his name. Gasping for air, she reached out to him, happy that he didn't pull away from her.

"You…" his voice was almost a whisper, and he was gasping for air. "You…are so cruel."

"Open your eyes."

His golden eyes were dazed and unfocused as if he'd climaxed with her, and when she smiled, he smiled with her, blinking slowly and shaking slightly.

"Do you still want me?"

"Yes."

Sliding off the bed, Katara removed his pants, placing gentle kisses along him.

"You were so good," she said, circling her tongue along his tip. "I won't make you beg for it."

He sighed deeply, and Katara went to work, taking him in her mouth, swallowing all of him, and when he bucked against her, she pinned his hips down as she sucked and he whimpered, and he was extremely close to his release, and she picked up her pace, stroking him, her grip firm, delighting in his shuddering breath.

"You may open your eyes," she said to him, her lips over his head.

Zuko nodded, struggling to open them and watch her, his gaze completely unfocused, lost in a haze of pleasure. He moaned as she took him into her mouth again, rolling her tongue on him, ready to finish him.

And someone knocked on the door, completely breaking the spell.

"Your majesty? Sorry to bother you, but your presence is needed for an important matter."

"Are you fucking _kidding_ me?" Zuko groaned, sounding like he would actually cry.

Katara punched the floor, growling as she stood and snatched her robe off the floor. As Fire Lord and Fire Lady, they would never truly have time off from work, but for one afternoon, for three hours, she'd hoped that the country would be able to leave them alone and take care of itself. Hell, she would have settled for three more minutes. But no, apparently even that was too much to ask.

"Katara, wait," Zuko called, struggling to sit up.

Part of her knew that if she turned back, she wouldn't be able to leave him like that, so close to satisfaction but likely unable to finish. Or if he did, it would be without her, which wouldn't be nearly as fun for either of them. With a deep sigh, ignoring the insistent knocking from the attendant, Katara dropped to her knees, straddling Zuko and grinding against him for all she was worth. She moved swirled her hips as he fell back, doing his best to increase the friction.

"Your majesty? The council needs—"

"They can wait for five minutes," Katara yelled, hoping that every ounce of frustration was seeping into her voice.

Beneath her, Zuko moaned as she increased her pace, her hands on his chest, her nails digging into him as his eyes rolled back in his head and his muscles twitched uncontrollably. He bucked wildly, nearly tossing her off of him, struggling against his bonds as he finally found his release. It wasn't quite the ending that Katara had planned, but at least they'd both managed to finish. With a satisfied smirk Zuko rolled his hips into her, blinking slowly, and she kissed him deeply as she struggled to undo his bonds.

"Just…just make sure you switch crowns," he said between kisses, breathless and exhausted.

He chuckled as he rubbed his wrists, his body still spasming, and she didn't resist when he pulled her down for a final, long kiss. It took almost all of her willpower for Katara to get up and head toward the vanity where she exchanged the Fire Lord's crown for the Fire Lady's, hastily fixing her hair so that the crown would at least stand upright.

Standing in the doorway, Katara took a series of deep breaths, doing her best to ignore the delicious naked man lying on the floor behind her. There was a hesitant knock at the door and a very quiet, nervous hello.

"You behaved admirably," Katara called over her shoulder. "I suppose you do deserve a reward for that."

When she opened the door, she was once again a proper Fire Lady, her robe belted tightly around her, the picture of dominance.


	3. Chapter 3

Katara rolled over in bed, sighing as she snuggled up against a soundly sleeping Zuko. It was nice that he was able to get to sleep, but her mind was too restless to let her sleep. She gently tugged Zuko's arm and he scooted closer to her, nuzzling her neck and grinding into her. A small smile snaked its way across Katara's face. Well, not all of him was sleeping, and it was precisely that part of him that was awake that was keeping _her_ from falling asleep. Katara knew she'd be lying to herself if she said their sex lives hadn't taken a sudden and exciting turn in the past few weeks. Zuko had been extremely willing, and during early afternoon daydreams, there were times when Katara couldn't figure out just why he was going along with this. He was the Fire Lord, the pure definition of domination. During the day, he was powerful and commanding, uncompromising and intense. But at night…

Katara nearly jumped out of her skin as Zuko kissed down her neck, his hand gripping her. With a devilish smile, she rolled her hips against his, relishing the way his breath hitched. When she felt the first shudder rush through him, his grip loosening, Katara rolled over, straddling her husband and pinning his shoulders to the bed.

"Someone's frisky."

Zuko tried for a casual shrug, but she knew him too well, knew that there was a question on the tip of his tongue. If the last two weeks had taught her anything, she bet she knew what that question was, too. But she wasn't just going to offer. Where was the fun in that? She fully intended to make him ask her for it.

"Things have been a lot of…fun…lately," he said quietly.

"Oh, have they?"

Katara wiggled her hips, hovering just above him as she dug her nails into his shoulders. Zuko closed his eyes as he swallowed, and Katara leaned forward, letting her robe fall open just a little more, lowering herself so that she barely touched him. His hips bucked, and the moment they touched hers, she moved away.

"I hadn't noticed," she said, trying her hardest to sound bored.

She leaned forward again, her lips a few inches from his, his punishment and reward already fixed in her mind, just waiting for the right behavior from him. But the weeks had trained him well, and Zuko struggled to keep his hands at his sides. He balled the sheets in his fists, clenching his jaw and almost turning away from her.

"You've learned well," she whispered, giving him a few quick kisses. "I will allow you one request."

Katara kissed along his neck, enjoying the way Zuko shivered and whimpered. She ran her tongue along his jaw, and then took a deep breath, using her bending to cool the air around him. Zuko broke out in gooseflesh, inhaling sharply as his eyes rolled back in his head. He tried several times to say something, but his voice failed him when she finally lowered herself over him, rolling her hips twice and feeling him stiffen even more. Slowly, Katara pulled at the ties to her robe, letting it fall open as Zuko devoured every inch as it was exposed to him, licking his lips and almost reaching to touch. He stopped short of running his thumb over her nipple, and Katara knew that he would break down and ask.

"Anything you want," she whispered, drawing moisture from the air to form little ice crystals at the tips of her fingers before dragging them down his chest.

The blush started at his cheeks, but quickly spread to his entire face before travelling down his neck to his shoulders.

"Can…Can I ask…"

" _Anything_ ," Katara whispered, dragging her ice covered fingers from his stomach to hers, moving slowly up her body until she circled one nipple. She tossed her head back, whispering again that he could have anything that he wanted, almost needing him to say it, to give her that power over him.

"I mean…I enjoyed it the last time…you know…" He shrugged.

"Say it."

"Katara—"

"Then you don't want it."

Quickly, before she could change her mind, Katara rolled off Zuko, immediately aware of the absence of his warmth, purposefully putting her back to him and desperately trying to ignore the stirring deep inside of her. She took a few deep breaths to center herself before reaching under the bed for a box she'd stashed there not too long ago. Casually, she opened it and pulled out a few lengths of red silk and a heavy, sturdy cotton. She laid these out, making sure that Zuko saw the thing that he wanted most, watching the way he licked his lips, the way he adjusted his pants. He would know exactly what these meant, and it would push him.

"Beg me," she commanded, winding the red fabric around her hand.

"Please," he said, unwavering. "Please, Katara, I need you. Tie me up, do whatever you want to me."

Biting the insides of her cheeks, Katara pretended to inspect the fabric for any rips or frays. She'd tried to find something that wouldn't hurt too much, but would keep him from breaking free. She wanted him to struggle, to fight against his bonds and find that she had him completely under her control.

"Let's be honest," Katara said, winding the cloth around Zuko's wrists. "I've dominated you the entire time I've known you. Even when we were enemies."

"Like hell you did…"

Too late Zuko realized his mistake, and Katara smiled wickedly, yanking the fabric tighter around his wrists and securing it to one of the bed posts.

"You," she said, blindfolding him, "have just made things worse for yourself."

Before he could respond, Katara shoved a wad of fabric in his mouth, and secured it with another strip of fabric, before leaving a trail of kisses from his cheek to his jaw, nipping hard before soothing the hurt with her tongue. She covered her hand in a thin layer of ice and drew small circles at his waist as she continued to suck and lick and bite, inching lower until she was grabbing him through his pants, and Zuko let out a muffled moan as she started to stroke him. She slowly increased her pace, grabbing him firmer, working to maintain the ice on her hand against his increasing body heat, waiting for the moment that he would start to buck against her, waiting for him to get closer and closer to pleasure. As his moans increased, Zuko started to struggle against his bonds, working desperately to free his hands.

"Someone's being disobedient," Katara said as she slid down even further, laying her head on his thigh. "You're not allowed to have your hands free."

She could feel him positively _throbbing_ , and she swore to herself that it didn't get her excited, that it didn't remind her of the way that throbbing felt when it was inside her. She curled her tongue against him, her own chest heaving.

"If you stop struggling I will reward you."

Zuko immediately stopped, the only movement the rapid rise and fall of his chest, and Katara rewarded him by removing his pants and taking him in her hands. The shudder travelled from the very top of his head to the bottoms of his feet as she swallowed all of him, just holding him there. Then she started to work him, to pump up and down with a cooled hand, curling her tongue whenever she reached the tip. Not even the gag could muffle his moans, and Katara reached down to touch herself, rubbing her fingers in circles as she moved faster, sucked harder. When he started to buck against her, Katara let him get off two thrusts before she put all of her weight on his hips, pinning him down, and circling his tip with her tongue until she was sure he was going to cry. She tried to close her ears to his muffled pleas, but there was such need and desire that it was hard to ignore him, and she doubted her own resolve. She could imagine in vivid detail the way it would feel when she finally let him inside of her, his eagerness to please her, his determination to make _her_ break and beg him.

Panting and needing, Katara positioned herself just over him, rubbing him back and forth so he could feel just how wet she was.

"Do you feel this?"

He nodded vigorously. She swirled her hips and he almost melted into the bed.

"Do you think you can please me?"

He nodded again, and slowly Katara removed his gag, delighting in the way he licked his lips, delighting in his mischievous smile.

"You know I can please you," he said, his voice hoarse.

"Arrogant, aren't we?"

Katara roughly grabbed his face, kissing Zuko hard, and he responded in kind, pouring all of his need into this kiss. Even bound and blindfolded, he still fought for dominance, and Katara didn't bother hiding her smile. It was such a Zuko thing to do, but it wasn't like she couldn't use this against him. It wasn't like she hadn't done this a thousand times before.

"Prove to me you know what you're doing," Katara said breathlessly, breaking the kiss and straddling Zuko's face. " _Please me_."

The words were barely out of her mouth, her hips barely over his face, and Zuko was doing his best to tire her out. He moved his tongue with precision, immediately seeking out her favorite places, curling his tongue inside her in a way that usually made her legs quiver. Katara held onto the headboard, doing her best to quiet her moans. She bit down on her arm, determined to not give him that satisfaction, taking deep, slow breaths, not wanting him to hear how delightful it was to have him sucking on her. No matter how successful she was at keeping her breath even, there was nothing she could do to stop her body from twitching and her legs from shaking. When he raised his body temperature, his tongue positively _burning_ inside of her, no amount of biting on her arm could stop the moan that escaped. She clenched her jaw as the wave rolled through her, making her fingers numb, and she ripped herself away from Zuko, gasping as he kissed the inside of her thighs.

"You've learned _one_ good trick," she said breathlessly, torn between torturing him more and making him ram her harder than he ever had before. "It's about time."

Zuko's self satisfied smile flew away, and Katara cursed herself, hoping she hadn't ruined a good thing. Her mind was almost too numb to think quickly, and she couldn't stop shaking. Part of her brain was telling her to just give it up and ask if she'd gone too far, to make sure that he was ok. The louder part was telling her to push him harder, because it would make him work even harder to please her.

"Funny you should say that," Zuko said, "because I can feel you shaking. Still."

And now she cursed him, because that stupid wolfbat smile of his was back. She _would not_ lose control over him. The controlling side of her brain won out, and with a twisted smile that he would never see, she untied him, freeing his wrists. She would make him work harder than he had ever worked at anything in his life. He gave her a confused look, but Katara only sighed, sounding as bored as possible, given the situation.

"Like I said, you learned one good trick. Luck got you there."

Zuko sat up, rubbing his wrists, but not removing the blindfold. "So that's it?"

"No."

Again, Katara coated a finger in a thin layer of ice and slowly drug it up his leg, making lazy circles along his inner thigh before taking him in her hand and stroking him lazily.

"No," she said, "I'm not giving up. Wondering if you know how to work this better than your tongue. You've got enough of it. Hopefully its size isn't the only thing that'll please me."

If she hadn't grabbed him to guide him safely out of bed, Katara was sure that Zuko would have launched himself halfway across the room. He barely gave her any time to get out another snarky remark before he was grabbing her hips and positioning her, but rather than sliding inside of her, she felt his fingers rubbing her already sensitive bud, drawing heated circles around it, making her breath come in gasps. She swallowed them as best she could, but when he slipped his fingers inside of her, pumping in and out, curling to hit the place that drove her mad, she had to bite down _hard_ on her arm to keep any noise to a minimum. She wouldn't let him feel all smug just yet, not when there was a different, more intense kind of wave building inside of her. He picked up the pace, his body hot behind her, and it felt like he was reaching deeper than he ever had before, and Katara stuffed a wad of the bedsheet in her mouth to keep from screaming as her eyes rolled back in her head. Her arms gave out as the convulsions started, the pressure rising inside of her until she couldn't take it anymore. Struggling, she turned to look over her shoulder, and Zuko's chest was heaving just as much as hers. She had one last word for him, something she knew would push him over the edge.

"Mediocre."

And he slammed into her, and there was no time to quiet this moan, louder than any other she was sure she'd ever made in her _life_. Her vision went black for a moment as she struggled to lock her knees and not fall. She fought to catch her breath, completely unaware of anything around her as tears slid down her cheeks, something wild going on inside her. Still blindfolded, Zuko must have felt vindicated by that one, clearly unexpected scream, because he reached forward then, immediately going for that super sensitive bud, one hand still incredibly strong at her hip, gripping as he slammed into her, his pace relentless, the pressure and the pleasure too much for her body to handle. Her muscles started to ache, every last one of them twitching uncontrollably, her knees finally buckling, and Zuko kicked her legs apart to better support her, still not letting up. The tears flowed freely, and her head throbbed, and it felt like she would have a heart attack, and everything happened in her body at once.

When she screamed, it was so loud that Katara was sure half the people in the palace heard her. The pressure finally broke through the dam, her body trying to convulse and seize at the same time, and she felt _everything_. She felt her muscles tighten around Zuko, milking him, felt his breath hot and ragged against her back, felt the release of pressure from her hip, felt the muscles in her eyeballs strain so hard she swore they were going snap. She could feel Zuko's receding warmth as he moved away from her, the blindfold as it hit the bed next to her and the hurricane as it came out of her leaving her gasping and weak. Slowly, the world came back, and Katara was acutely aware of everything, Zuko's touch setting her body on fire as he caught her and gently laid her on the bed, his eyes wide with love and admiration and shock, the biggest smile she'd ever seen from him plastered across his face.

And the guards banging on the door, hesitantly saying they know it's probably none of their business, but they're still required to make sure everything was fine. Zuko's kiss was hesitant and shaky, but no less tender and loving as he pulled on his pants and went to deal with them.

On the floor was a giant puddle, and an embarrassed blush probably travelled halfway down her body. Had she just…? She'd heard of women doing something like… _that_ …before, but she'd never even considered that her body was capable of it. She and Zuko had been together for years, and never had she felt anything even close to this.

When Zuko got back in the bed, he immediately scooped her up, holding her close and kissing her face. He wiped away the tears still trickling out as she lay limply in his arms, opening and closing his mouth a few times, clearly at a loss. What are you supposed to say after that? What else _could_ be said? So they just lay there for countless minutes, and slowly Katara felt her body return to normal.

"I guess we should clean up," she whispered.

Zuko just held her close when she tried to move, nuzzling her neck and gently kissing along her jaw, and finally she had to push him off.

"Stop it before you start this whole thing again."

"I wouldn't be opposed to that," he said, still with that silly smile of his. "That was…the most _amazing thing_ I have ever experienced in my life."

His smile was infectious, and Katara was too tired to fight it. She gently tugged, and Zuko responded, laying his head on her chest. He twirled a lock of hair around his finger, then placed a gentle kiss between her breasts.

"You're amazing," Katara whispered, feeling sleep start to take over.

She couldn't quite hear Zuko's response, but she could feel his chest rumble with soft laughter, and him stroking her hair until she finally gave in and just slept.

* * *

A/N: So, here it is. Much awaited chapter 3. But now I want to pick your brains a bit. I'm curious how many people would be interested in a chapter that deals mostly with aftercare and negotiating the terms of this new dynamic to their relationship. They're taking on very different roles from what they normally do, and I definitely see Katara wanting to check in and make sure that he's ok with everything that they're doing. This is basically just filth and no story at all, but I wanted to see how interested readers are in seeing a different side to their dom/sub relationship.


	4. Chapter 4

Even without the sun beaming in their bedroom and making it impossible for her to sleep, Katara knew that she'd severely overslept. She shot up, intending to fling herself out of bed and rush to see just how much of the day she'd wasted and exactly why no one seemed inclined to get her. The moment she threw the covers back and sat up, though, her muscles screamed, the pain burning hot in her hips and along her legs. Her arms throbbed and her stomach hurt worse than it did the time she'd challenged Sokka to that sit up contest. Groaning, she forced herself to move through what she knew to be more than regular morning stiffness and confront the results of the previous night's festivities.

"Spirits preserve me," she whispered, her heart sinking to her stomach as she gently prodded the bruises on her hips, then noticing the swollen, purple bite marks on her arms.

With a deep sigh, Katara fell back in the bed, the muscles in her back aching even as she did that. She took a few deep breaths, pushing away the shame that was threatening to rise. They were adults and everything that they did had been consensual. It was blissful and beautiful and fun, and she'd felt things she'd never felt before. Zuko giving her complete control of his body was a new level of trust for them, and it was wonderful. There was nothing to be ashamed of, they just needed to be better about taking care of each other after everything was done. And who's to say taking care of each other couldn't be fun? Cuddles and affirmation of love, warm embraces and gentle kisses on each mark, his mouth on her hips as he whispered apologies for grabbing her so hard, his strong hands filled with heat, soothing her aching muscles, running over her shoulders and her breasts, down to her stomach and caressing her thighs…

Yes, taking care of each other could be fun.

With a delighted smile, Katara forced herself to roll out of bed and head to the bathroom where she ran herself a cool bath. She splashed cold water on her face, determined to school her mind enough to focus. If no one came to wake her, chances were that Zuko took on all of her meetings that morning, so she wouldn't be able to see him until early evening if she was lucky. She would need her concentration, but after that, the evening would be theirs and theirs alone.

Early evening had been a generous estimate. It was full dark by the time Katara had finished with her meetings and paperwork, and as she walked down the hallway toward the office she shared with Zuko, Katara felt her heart quicken. Her fingertips were tingly and there was the unmistakable flutter of butterflies in her stomach. Katara stopped just outside the door to their office and leaned against the wall, taking slow, deep breaths. _Butterflies_. She was a woman in her late twenties; there was no reason for her to still be getting butterflies, and yet, here she was, her palms sweaty from excitement as she knocked on the door.

"Enter."

His voice was curt and businesslike, probably expecting another advisor, but it still sent a jolt up her spine, the same way it did when they were first dating. Honestly, why was she knocking? It was her office, too. Still, she couldn't stop herself from opening the door slightly and peeking in, a wide smile plastered across her face. When Zuko looked up at her, all of the tension and frustration left and was replaced by a wide, boyish smile. He couldn't get up fast enough, nearly tripping over his chair, and Katara flung the door open wide, launching herself at her husband, the man she'd been married to for years, wrapping her legs around his waist and burying her face in his neck. He laughed, full and loud, and he struggled to support her weight, grunting as he sat down, still holding her close to him. He placed a thousand kisses on her face and neck, holding her as tightly as he could. His touch was exceedingly gentle as he ran his hands along her sides and her thighs, and Katara found that her body responded almost without any input from her brain. He was warm and comforting, covered in familiar scents, and when he took her face in his hands, his kiss gentle, but no less passionate, Katara absolutely melted.

"You didn't take on all of my meetings, did you?" Katara asked between little kisses.

Zuko shrugged, blushing down to his shoulders. She could tell he was trying to fight the smile, looking at her through thick, dark eyelashes.

"After last night," he said, "I thought you could use the rest more than I did."

Katara felt her own cheeks color, as if they were two teenagers instead of two married adults. She picked idly at his shirt, very much aware that Zuko was wearing long sleeves in the middle of the summer. She tried to stand, but Zuko grabbed onto her hips, pulling her back down as he buried his face in her cleavage. With a deep, shuddering breath, Katara gently ran her fingers through his hair, then down his back. His arms tightened around her as his breath hitched. It took a lot of self control to push him away so she could go close the door, putting more sway in her hips. She felt Zuko's eyes travelling down her spine, no doubt undressing her. When she closed the door and looked over her shoulder, he was adjusting his pants.

"We…should really talk about last night," she said softly.

A subtle change came over Zuko's features. One of understanding, but also perhaps a little dread. He shrugged.

"I figured we'd have to get to that sooner or later."

Katara bunched the fabric of her skirt as she slowly made her way back to Zuko and sat on the desk. She chose her words carefully.

"I… This morning… I had bruises on my hips, and really bad, swollen bite marks on my arms."

The color drained from Zuko's face, and Katara dropped to her knees taking his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. Guilt and pain was plain on him, and she did her best to quell his fears.

"You didn't hurt me—"

"Katara, I—"

"You did not hurt me." Gingerly, she pulled up his sleeves, revealing the bandages on his wrists. "You didn't hurt me, Zuko. But we need to be better about…after."

He nodded, slowly, then kissed her forehead as she pulled water from a plant and coaxed it to glow around his wrists. Her heart was thudding in her chest.

"There's a better rope we can use," he said quietly. "One that won't chafe so much."

"And I can heal us if things get out of control."

"We need to be open with each other about what we want out of this."

Katara sent the water back into the plant. She felt the blush creeping up her cheeks again as Zuko held her hands, pulling her into his lap.

"When I said that you hadn't learned any new tricks, I hurt you, didn't I?"

Zuko shrugged. "Yeah. I guess. I mean… I know you didn't really mean it."

"This is getting a lot more serious than we thought, huh?"

He nodded and they were quiet a while, sitting in the chair and holding each other, Katara twirling a lock of Zuko's hair around her finger. There were slight red marks at his temple and the corner of his mouth. She hadn't thought she'd tied the fabric around him so tightly. Finally, with a deep sigh, Zuko nuzzled her neck, placing little kisses in the spots that made her quiver.

"I… I never thought giving up complete control could be so exciting," he said, his teeth grazing her neck. "But we need to establish limits. And have proper care. And…maybe…we can, you know. Trade off? From time to time?"

He said the last part so bashfully, that Katara couldn't help but giggle, patting his cheek lovingly.

"If you want to dominate me, you'll have to be a lot more assertive, sweetheart."

Zuko smirked then, grabbing her thigh firmly. "You know I can be dominant. It's just that this is new and it's exciting, and I want to make sure you're ok. That we're ok. That's really important to me. I just…I don't want to hurt you."

"I don't want to hurt you, either. We just need to find our limits. Which can be fun."

"Good," Zuko said, tracing circles along her inner thigh. "Because I cleared our schedule for tomorrow evening."

Before Katara had the chance to protest, Zuko's mouth was on her neck, his tongue tracing an intricate pattern that made her eyes roll back in her head. She sighed deeply, her body already eager for what he had in store for her.

"Tomorrow," he said, lifting her and gently setting her on her feet. "Tomorrow, you're mine."

Zuko gave her an incredibly mischievous smirk, one that sent chills down her spine and made the butterflies start up again. She couldn't wait to see what he would do.


	5. Chapter 5

Two. Weeks.

It had been two weeks since she and Zuko had their talk, and literally nothing had come of it. Sure, they'd been busy, but this went beyond not having the time to be intimate. Every sexual gesture was rebuffed. When she tried to grind on him in the middle of the night, he gave her a big hug and rolled over. When she tried to untie his pants, he grabbed her hands and gave her a kiss on the forehead. She would think that he hadn't been as into this whole dominance thing as he'd said if it weren't for the way he smiled at her whenever he turned her away. He knew what he was doing.

"Is that the last one?" he asked.

Katara narrowed her eyes at Zuko as she handed him the last of the newly bound financial reports. He took the report, careful not to touch her hand, and sat it with the rest of the reports that would be filed away in the vault.

"Well, that's it, then." Zuko said, standing and stretching. "That's the last of the planning that needs to be done before the summer recess."

With a deep sigh, Katara rested her chin on her fist, not missing the way Zuko purposefully lifted his shirt as he rubbed his stomach. The way his hands purposefully dipped below the waist of his pants. She swore her cheeks didn't heat up as she squirmed in her seat when he caught her looking.

"I guess we're just going to bed then," Katara said, no small amount of disappointment in her voice.

"It's still early."

Zuko held his hand out to her, and she accepted, letting him pull her to her feet, instructing her body to not twitch at his heat, demanding that her heart _not_ quicken as he pinned her against the desk. Threatening her knees as they dared to buckle when he pressed himself against her, his lips ever so slightly tickling her neck

"Why now, Zuko?" she asked, breathlessly.

"You're not in control anymore," he said, before kissing her neck. "Over the last three days, I think you finally figured that out."

He smile was sly as he undid the belt that held her dress closed, and the moment it was open, his mouth was at her neck, and she hadn't realized just how much she'd wanted him these past two weeks. He helped her shrug out of her dress, tossing over his shoulder before making his way lower and lower down her body, until Katara inhaled sharply as he drew a thousand little circles with his tongue at the edge of her underwear. Instinctively, she put her hand on his head and tried to guide him to her, but he batted her hand away, gave her a wolfbat smile, and _moved away_.Her legs quivered as Zuko trailed his fingers up her spine, and he made short work of her underwear, leaving her exposed to him, a hungry, mischievous look in his eye that said she was in for Breathlessly, she watched as Zuko sat down and crossed his arms.

"I thought two weeks would be long enough for you to learn your lesson," he said, his voice rough. "I guess I was wrong."

At least she wasn't the only one breathing heavily. Zuko licked his lips as he watched her, and when he curled his finger, beckoning her, she sauntered over, putting as much sway in her hips as the few steps would allow. And when he instructed her to strip, she did, standing just between his legs, removing her clothing inch by agonizing inch. She fully expected Zuko to grab her, to kiss her roughly as he trailed heat down her spine, to delight in her nakedness.

Nothing.

"Lay down," he said, guiding her to lie across his lap.

Her heart was racing as she lay down, the tips of her fingers tingling as Zuko rubbed slow circles on first one cheek, then the other, his hand heated in a way that said it might be pleasant now, but something else entirely in a matter of seconds. She waited anxiously for him to begin, but Zuko decided that it wasn't enough to keep her on edge, no, he had to tease her, to run his heated fingers up and down her spine, to slip momentarily to that place she desperately needed him, to make her moan as he slipped a finger inside. When he slipped in a second finger, she moaned louder as her body quivered, rolling her hips to make him stroke her the way she needed.

It felt like instantly one sensation was replaced with the next, and her brain wasn't able to keep up, and she moaned again as Zuko's hand came down hard on her backside. He soothed away the pain with a gentle heat, but the soothing didn't last long. Again and again he spanked her without soothing in between, and she gripped his leg as she tensed, her bottom red hot, but he hesitated. Just as she was turning to look at him, to see what he was doing, his hand came down on her harder than it had before, and Katara swore her eyes rolled back a little as she gripped his leg painfully tight.

"Are you ready to be obedient?" Zuko asked, his voice filled with smug satisfaction.

Katara nodded vigorously, quieting the part of her mind that kept telling her to force him to make her be obedient. Zuko laughed, no doubt knowing how hard it was for her to keep quiet, giving her another firm smack before helping her stand, then positioning her on the desk.

"I've got one last test for you." Zuko dropped to his knees in front of her, pulling her to the edge of the desk and putting her legs over his shoulders. His face was completely serious as he looked at her. " _Do not come_."

He might as well have asked the sun not to shine or for the clouds not to rain, especially with the way he was dipping his tongue inside of her, stroking her so that her breath came in hiccups, especially after he kept her wanting for two goddamn weeks. He was like a furnace between her legs, desperate to melt her as he sucked and flicked his tongue over that little bud. When he looked up at her, his eyes deep with lust, she could barely focus, and when she started to buck against him, he pinned her hips down. The wave was building in her, and he decided that his glorious tongue alone was not enough, slipping in two fingers, pumping them in and out of her, his pace relentless as he sucked, and her legs started to shake, and she whimpered because he was doing that thing where he rolled his tongue just at her opening, then he was biting her thigh, his voice a deep warning.

"Don't."

So Katara tried to think about anything she could that would take her out of the moment. She thought about Sokka's socks, about having to clean them when they were on the road, about that ungodly smell, about seeing Pakku and Gran Gran all cuddled up by the fire, of her dislike for half of their advisors, about that fool of a cabbage merchant determined to make cabbages a thing. She thought about the amount of work they would have to do when the summer session ended and festival season began, about hospital visits and children putting on plays. She thought about stabbing herself in the eye with pointy end of the seal breaker that Zuko used to break the wax on diplomatic letters. And finally, she resorted to biting her arm, some kind of physical pain to counteract everything that was going on below.

"Good girl."

Zuko was kissing her thighs, then her stomach, flicking his tongue over her hardened nipples. He took her arm and placed the most gentle kisses over her bite mark, whispering again that she was a good girl, and Katara couldn't help the slight chuckle, because, dammit, she felt a little proud. When Zuko grabbed her chin and kissed her, it was rough and needy, and she fought him for dominance, because if that was the punishment, she wanted him to punish her again and again, and she grabbed a fistful of Zuko's shirt, wrapping her legs around him, rolling her hips against him the way he liked, the way that always drove him mad.

This time was no exception. Before she had time to realize what he was doing, Zuko had her flat on her back, her hands pinned above her head. She could feel his need pressed against her, could imagine the delight of him sliding inside of her, and just the imagined sensation of that inevitability sent her heart speeding and a shiver down her spine. His chest was heaving as he looked at her, then ever so slowly, one corner of his mouth crept upward into a decidedly evil smirk.

"Just when I thought you were learning," he said, his voice low.

"Punish me." The words were almost out before she could stop them.

"Is that what you want? To be punished?"

"Yes, spirits above, _please_."

"Then, no."

And there was the stupid, stupid wolfbat smile as he rummaged around in a drawer and came back with a length of rope. He made quick work of binding her arms from wrist to elbow, before roughly yanking her up and draping her dress over her shoulders. Then he picked her up and carried her toward the door.

"W..wait, are we going—"

"Do I need to gag you, too?"

Katara clamped her mouth closed as Zuko turned the doorknob and stepped out into the nearly empty hallway; the few people passing nodded politely at them and went on their way. It was significantly darker than in their office, and Katara's heart thudded with excitement and nervousness. What if someone saw them? What if they noticed the rope around her arms? What would they think?

"If you behave yourself," Zuko whispered, shifting her in his arms so that her head was against his shoulder, "no one will know what a disobedient little girl you are."

Zuko carried her down the hallway to their room, and if anyone noticed anything out of the ordinary, they kept their opinions to themselves. By the time they reached their bedroom, both of their hearts were thudding wildly, and Zuko kicked the door closed, struggling to keep a calm pace as he took her to the bed and dumped her on the mattress. His smile was wild like a child who knew they'd just gotten away with something, and when he kissed her, it was rough and passionate, and he pulled the dress off of her, grabbing a fistful of her hair with one hand as he deepened the kiss, and stroking her with the other, rolling his thumb over that bud as she moaned into his mouth, rolling her hips against his hand.

"Please me," he commanded.

Katara licked her lips as she slid off the bed, struggling to remove his pants with her hands tied, feeling him tremble just as much as she was. And when he was finally in front of her, just as naked as her, she waited until he looked at her before taking him in her mouth, loving the shudder that went through him, loving his moans, the way his knees buckled slightly as she flicked her tongue across his tip. When she took all of him in her mouth, he wrapped his hands in her hair, momentarily gripping tightly before realizing what he was doing and letting go. As a thank you, Katara did all the things he loved, using both hands to stroke him as she sucked and licked, doing her best to bring him as close to orgasm as possible, and her reward was his moans, his whispered pleas of "Agni above," his hands moving gently through her hair, his hips pumping into her mouth, and just as he seemed like he was about to lose himself in her, he pulled away, breathing little puffs of steam, and bending her over the bed.

There was no slow buildup, no savoring the moment when he slid into her, just him ramming inside, his pace relentless, threatening to immediately break the dam and release everything she'd worked hard to hold back. Her knees buckled at the first thrust and her moan was more scream as Zuko held her by her hips, her feet not even touching the floor, her bound arms pinned beneath her. His body was on fire behind her, each thrust bringing a wave of heat across her back, pushing her closer and closer to the cliff. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked, reaching down to rub her as he kept up that pace, and Katara could feel the water in the room around them, could feel it in the plants, could feel it in the air itself. She felt the water inside of her, churning like a wave, and the tears threatened to start as her knees weakened.

"Don't you dare," he growled in her ear, his command completely at odds with everything else that he was doing.

"Zuko, please," she begged, "I don't think—"

"And you said I was only mediocre."

He flicked his tongue across her pulse as she fought back the orgasm, her body going limp and taut in turns, and Katara desperately tried to break free from her bonds, to grab at anything to keep herself from falling upwards. She gulped in as much air as she possibly could, willing her body to stop shaking and mercifully, _mercifully_ Zuko pulled out of her, giving her a little reprieve from the blooming madness. Shaking, Katara slid to the floor, her legs completely useless.

"Stand," Zuko commanded. "I want to see your face when I finally break you."

She was too far gone though, too close to the edge of release to do much of anything other than ride the wave. Every time she tried to stand, her legs refused to listen, and her arms were entirely unable to support her weight. It was impossible for her to hold back the orgasm anymore as the tears slipped out of her eyes and Zuko grabbed her, tossing her on the bed and slamming into her again, interrupting the wave that was desperately trying to get out.

"Zuko, please," she whimpered, her back arched almost painfully. " _Please_."

"I knew you couldn't last."

But he still hadn't given her permission, and she still tried to hold it back, but something was happening inside of her, and she was absolutely powerless to stop it.

"Very well, you may have your orgasm."

The words weren't out of his mouth before she let out the delighted scream she'd been holding in. She could feel her muscles contracting around him as her whole body tightened, and she tried desperately to push him away, her cheeks flaming red as she couldn't keep anything inside of her anymore, and the dam broke. Part of her was too embarrassed to look at Zuko, too embarrassed to see him covered in her juices, but he didn't even care, kissing her passionately, the taste of ashes thick on his tongue. He abruptly broke the kiss, turning away from her as he spit fire, his thrusts increasing in strength as the second wave was getting ready to flow out of her. Katara shrieked as Zuko plowed right into her second release, and he hastily covered her mouth as he struggled to swallow his fire or risk burning her.

Spent, Zuko collapsed on top of her, and Katara could still feel him pulsating inside of her, the feeling absolutely delightful. She could barely hear him wheezing over the sound of her heart thudding in her ears; her head was swimming and she felt like she was probably floating somewhere on the ceiling.

They laid in silence, coming down from the high, just staring blankly into the distance. Katara didn't even register that she was still bound until Zuko undid the ropes at her wrists, gently massaging her arms.

"I…I wasn't too rough was I? Do you want a massage or something?"

"Not at all, and yes, I would," Katara said, rolling onto her stomach so he could massage her back.

She practically melted into the bed as Zuko's heated hands soothed her muscles. He was still shaking a bit, but he moved over her back with practiced care, as the exhaustion set into her limbs.

"You're amazing," he said, gently stroking her hair.

Katara tried to hide her blush. "Even though I…"

Vaguely she gestured to his chest before turning away. Zuko grabbed her face and kissed her gently, chastely. His smile was absolutely beautiful and Katara smiled back, reaching out to him. Zuko scooped her up and sat her in his lap, covering them with a blanket.

" _Especially_ when you do." He kissed her temple. "I think it's amazing when you do that."

"But what about you?" She snuggled closer to him. "Are you ok?"

Zuko was quiet for a few seconds, then he looked down at her.

"I said I wanted to look at you when I broke you. I…" He shrugged. "I felt bad about saying that. I don't want to break you."

"I know." She kissed his jaw. "And I love you for it. We don't have to go that far if it makes you uncomfortable."

Zuko nodded. "Ok. I guess I kinda just got caught up in the moment. I love you, too, sweetheart."

"Is it ok that I fight back?"

"I honestly don't know what I'd do if you didn't." Zuko held her tightly. "I'd be like some weird alternate universe where you weren't a bossy know it all."

Katara laughed as Zuko shrugged off the blanket and stood, heading toward the bath. His warmth now was that of a nice fire, and Katara burrowed into him, spent, tired and happy.


	6. Chapter 6

Katara thoroughly appreciated the Ember Island summer season because it gave her and Zuko a much needed break from the constant rush of being busy at the capitol. For the first time, though, she was actually _excited_ for their trip, especially since Zuko had kicked her out of the room for an hour, forcing her to wander aimlessly around the ship as they sped toward the port. She'd finally settled on standing at the bow, watching the waves part in front of them, her mind lost in a thousand tortures, reliving their last encounter, the way his mouth felt against her body, his heat, his hands on her hips…

She took a deep breath as a chill ran down her spine, biting her cheeks to stop the smile from spreading. That morning, Zuko had asked her a series of intriguing questions, and she'd been on edge the whole morning, nothing but a bundle of excited energy, but he would tell her nothing. And now he told her to busy herself for an hour, and she was pretty positive that it had been more than an hour by now, but still he hadn't come for her. The ship wasn't that big; it's not like he wouldn't be able to find her.

"Maybe I should go check on him," she said cheerily, pushing off the railing and gathering her dress as she trotted below deck.

On their Ember Island trips, they only took a skeleton crew, something they'd always insisted on, reminding their counselors and advisors that they'd survived on their own during the war and were more than capable of taking care of themselves. Cheeks red, Katara was glad for this; it was embarrassing enough to have to face the guards outside their bedroom in the palace when she knew they heard her screams the night before. It would be even more awkward on such a tiny ship.

Lost in her thoughts, Katara didn't even notice him until she collided with him. She yelped in surprise as she lost her balance and fell. And there was Zuko, standing above her, that wolfbat smile on his face, his arms crossed as he looked at her on the ground.

"You are so impatient," he said as he crouched down. "And so… _incredibly_ disobedient. I should make you crawl all the way back to our room."

Katara's heart was beating a thousand times a minute. He'd clearly had a plan for her, but must have been throwing it out in favor of something else. She licked her lips, watching the way his eyes followed the movement of her tongue. With a smile of her own, Katara leaned back as if reclining on the floor in the middle of the hallway was the most natural thing in the world.

"Do you want me to crawl there?" She asked, her voice sultry low. "Is that going to be my punishment?"

She watched the rise and fall of Zuko's chest, the way his eyes fluttered closed briefly before he refocused himself. She knew that he was imagining her crawling in front of him, the way she would present herself to him, her butt high in the air, the way she would move slowly, her hips swaying from side to side, her short dress suddenly being _too_ short. She knew that he wouldn't be able to control himself for long, and when he abruptly stood, she didn't bother to stifle her laugh.

"On your feet," he said sternly.

Katara stood, still amused, even as Zuko's smile returned. Even as she knew that he was likely devising some new punishment for her. Good. She shivered. When he pointed down the hallway and told her to go, she sauntered, letting her hair out of its loose topknot and putting one hand on her hip as she strutted toward the bedroom. She didn't miss his groan, no doubt wondering if he'd taken on too much. She kept her pace slow and her movements exaggerated, and Zuko said nothing, even when she could feel his heat behind her. Even when his fingers ghosted down her spine. And when they finally reached their room, she pressed herself against the door, arching her back as she looked over her shoulder and licked her lips. But when she reached for the doorknob, it didn't turn. He'd locked it.

"I fully expected you to come back here long before I told you to," he said, standing right behind her, his hands at her hips. "You always have to be so difficult."

And then he noticed it. Zuko was about to say something else, but stopped mid word, taking a deep breath before narrowing his eyes at her. Katara put on her best innocent face, batting her eyelashes at him. He took another deep, shuddering breath, sniffing along her neck, his hands tightening at her hips as she rolled into him, feeling him incredibly hard behind her.

"Moon peaches," he whispered. "Goddamit, Katara."

It was his favorite fruit and his favorite scent in all the world. He'd once told her that, through the war, the one luxury he'd missed the most was moon peaches from the palace gardens. When they were hiding out on Ember Island, by chance she'd found one at the market, and when she'd returned home and given it to Zuko, he'd nearly cried. He loved them so much that he'd made himself sick in his first month as Fire Lord by eating so many. Iroh had even made him a special moon peach tea blend. And when she'd found out about moon peach bath scents and oils, Katara nearly bought out the entire store. And now, here he was, smelling her like a fine wine, his teeth grazing her neck as he started to unbutton her dress.

"I have half a mind to take you right here."

"Do," she said, more excited than she expected to be.

"No." Zuko opened to door and nudged her across the threshold, slamming it behind him. "If you weren't so damn disobedient, then maybe. But you have to be punished."

Katara took several deep breaths, trying to focus so hard on not smiling, on not showing just how excited she was for what was to come. To keep large objects from moving around when the ship hit rough seas, there were a series of metal rings on the wall so that objects could be tied down. On the bed were two pairs of leather cuffs, a length of chain, three lengths of rope a blindfold and four strips of fabric. One of the leather cuffs had already been attached to the ring on the wall near the bed with rope, and it would give Zuko significantly more control over her. Something stirred deep in the pit of her stomach, and she turned to look at Zuko, thrilled to see that he was every bit as excited as she was.

"Strip."

His command was quiet, and Katara swallowed thickly as she slowly undid the buttons, her eyes fixed on Zuko. He was devouring every inch of skin she exposed to him, completely unprepared for what she was wearing. She opened the dress and let it slip off her shoulders, exposing the tiny red and gold underwear. She knew Zuko well enough to see him struggling not to react as he walked over to her, saw the way he was taking slow, measured breaths. He circled her once, grunting in approval as he hooked his finger through the waistband of the gold silk panties, before reaching down to give her bottom a firm squeeze. He came to a stop in front of her, barely inches from her, and drew casual circles around her nipple with his thumb. Katara swallowed her moan as best she could, trying to lock her knees as she fought the desire to strip him and ride him harder than he'd ever been ridden before.

"Look at me."

She hadn't even realized she'd closed her eyes. When she didn't do it fast enough, he put a gentle pressure on her nipple, rolling in between his fingers. She let out a shuddering breath. His every touch was setting her on fire.

"You take every chance you can to be defiant." He pulled her flush against his body, moving her hair out of the way to expose her neck. "That's ok. I know your weak spots."

His lips were grazing her neck as he talked, pushing her back toward the bed. Every step she took was shaky as he licked along her pulse, curling his tongue in a way that drove her absolutely mad until she was quivering.

"Please…"

She couldn't stop the word before it escaped, and she snapped her eyes open, only to see Zuko smiling. He made short work of her underwear, undoing the knots and tossing them across the room. With a gentle shove, she fell backwards onto the bed, and Zuko was on top of her, trailing hot kisses from her neck to her nipple, and Katara couldn't stop the undignified squeal as he sucked, his tongue flicking across the sensitive skin, and she arched into him, her hands wound tightly in his hair. She moaned his name over and over again, begging him to please go lower, _please_ , she needed him more than anything.

Zuko chuckled as he kissed lower, his tongue almost searing hot. His fingertips were filled with little staticky trickles of electricity that made tears spill out of her eyes as he trailed them along her inner thighs. No matter how she moved her hips, no matter how she begged him, he just would not move any closer, rolling his tongue along her thigh, tantalizingly out of reach.

"Zuko, _please_ ," she begged, her breath coming in little hiccups. "Please, Zuko, I need you, I can't—"

"Really, now?" He crawled up her body, positioning himself between her legs and pinning her hands above her head. "How much do you need me?"

He was rubbing himself against her, and it was driving her _mad_. It wasn't fair that he should still be fully clothed, it wasn't fair that he should keep himself out of her reach. She whimpered when he went for her neck again, his free hand at her hip, angling her perfectly, just so he could slide inside her, the perfect angle to ram into her, to push her over the edge of pleasure.

"Are you ready to behave?"

Katara nodded vigorously, ready to do anything he asked her at that moment.

"Good girl."

He let her go only to reach for the leather cuffs, securing them around her wrists. As he tightened each one, he look at her, and gave a slight nod toward the cuff each time he cinched it tighter. When they were tight, but not uncomfortably so, Katara nodded back, hers just as slight as his and Zuko gave her a light peck on the forehead before getting out of the bed and pulling the rope until her arms were over her head. Zuko sauntered back to the bed.

"I suppose I should reward you."

Katara stopped herself from responding, even if she wouldn't mind him torturing her a little more, instead choosing to watch as Zuko pulled his shirt over his head. Always in the back in her mind Katara kept little memories of shirtless Zuko tucked away, but no matter how accurate that picture in her mind was, it always paled in comparison to the real thing. Zuko tossed his shirt away as he walked toward her, unconsciously rubbing his scar as he smirked at her, licking his lips as his eyes roamed over her body.

"I'll give you one request," he said, his voice hoarse as he kneeled between her legs, positioning them on his shoulders. "But, no matter what, whatever you request _cannot_ lead to your orgasm."

"What! Why?"

"Exactly this." He kissed her ankle. "You are very defiant. I can't reward you too much."

Every single word was punctuated with a kiss, alternating legs until his face was practically buried in her crotch. All he had to do was extend his tongue a little, just the smallest touch…

"Name your reward," he demanded.

She thought as fast as she could, going over the list of things he could do to her, the things she wanted him to do most. No matter what she asked, at this point it would lead to her orgasm, which was probably what Zuko was counting on. It was getting harder to think with him kissing his way up her body, the static in his fingers as he wrote his name across her stomach over and over. When she twitched, she could feel him rubbing against her, the slightest thrust of his hips making her whimper.

"Take your pants off," she stuttered, her head thrown back.

Zuko chuckled as he bit her hip, rolling the skin between his teeth. He stood at the head of the bed, well within arm's reach if she weren't bound, and untied his belt. Katara watched Zuko intently, watched the careful way he maneuvered around the substantial bulge, groaning as his hand grazed it. Katara bit her lip, doing her best to put on her innocent look again. She could practically see him throbbing as he strained the fabric of his underwear. He was outlined perfectly and she wanted it.

"I… That looks uncomfortable." She looked up at Zuko. "I might be able to help…relieve your…discomfort."

"I bet you could."

But he turned and walked away instead, and Katara wasn't quick enough to stifle the frustrated growl, even as Zuko got back into the bed, even as he was between her legs again. Then he started the teasing, sucking on her thighs, little nips that increased in pressure until they hovered just this side of painful, only to have the pain overridden by the pleasure as he moved closer to her center. Then finally, _mercifully_ , she felt his tongue on her and the tears slid out as she squeezed her eyes shut. No doubt he intended to increase the torture, but for the moment, she was more than fine with it. Three slow licks he gave her with his heated tongue, and she didn't miss his groans, didn't miss the way he was rubbing himself on the bed, no doubt needing some release of his own.

When he slipped his tongue a little deeper, Katara couldn't stifle this moan, straining against her bonds, wanting nothing more than to run her hands through his hair. He repeated this again and again, slower and slower until she started bucking against him and he pinned her to the bed. Whenever she jerked against him too hard, or moaned too loudly, he always pulled her away from pleasure with a hard bite along her thighs, never in the same place more than twice, and Katara always swallowed these moans. She wouldn't let him know that he wasn't pulling her away from the pleasure as much as he thought, and she started bucking against him just to make him bite her, her eyes starting to slip further back in her head, as the coiling in her stomach started.

"You were not given permission to orgasm," he reminded her. " _Do not_."

Katara nodded absently as she tugged on her restraints again trying to get her mind to stop swimming in a haze of pleasure. She was succeeding right until he slipped his heated tongue inside of her, right until he followed that with two fingers, right until he started sucking on that bud and someone, someone had the audacity…

She half screamed half moaned as the scorching heat slammed into her as it rolled off Zuko's body. It felt like a thousand needles were pressing into her skin as Zuko became fury incarnate, throwing himself off the bed and storming to the door, where someone was pounding on it and calling for them.

"What?"

He practically ripped the door off the hinges, and Katara heard more than saw the crew member cowering before the Fire Lord.

"An urgent message from the capitol, sir, I'm sorry, I was just told to get one of you immediately."

Zuko literally growled at poor crewman, his grip tightening on the doorjamb, little tendrils of smoke dissipating into the air.

"Zuko."

She watched his back, watched him shift and the tiniest amount of tension leave. He gave a curt nod before the crewman scrambled off and Zuko slammed the door shut. When he turned to her, he took a deep breath and let out a brilliant stream of fire laden breath before running his hands through his hair.

"Do you want me to go?" she asked.

He shook his head and grabbed his pants from the floor.

" _Can_ you go?" she asked with a smirk as he pulled them on.

More amused than she should be, Katara watched as Zuko cursed, then looked down his pants. He tried several times to readjust himself, never looking anything less than severely uncomfortable. Katara sighed and reclined against the headboard. It was a shame to have to waste all that.

"You should have let me help you," she said, stretching her shoulders.

Zuko breathed out a few short puffs of steam before grumbling and coming to release her from her restraints. He rubbed her wrists with warm hands, looking everywhere except at her.

"You're very distracting right now," he said, staring intently at the ceiling. "I'm trying to concentrate."

"On?"

It would be cruel right now to tease him the way he'd been teasing her. Even if he was still pretending that he could go see what this message was, Katara was under no such illusion. Really, she was doing him a favor by helping him see this. She grabbed him firmly through his pants, delighting in the way his knees buckled as she stroked him. He narrowed his eyes at her, but she just repeated the motion, rubbing him until he had to brace himself against bed and he was thrusting into her hand.

"Exactly what I thought," she said, getting out of bed and giving Zuko a firm smack on the butt. "You aren't going anywhere, and as much as I absolutely _hate_ to leave you to take care of yourself, I don't think you'd be able to handle this right now."

With a sigh and more profane grumbles, Zuko removed his pants and got into bed. Katara went to the dresser and pulled out some fresh clothes, pretending not to notice the naked man behind her. Pretending that she didn't hear his shuddering breaths. Pretending that she didn't know what he was doing. Pretending that she didn't want to do it for him.

As she walked around the bed, she kept her back to him and got dressed, even though he was moaning her name and igniting the fire in her again.

She could count on one hand the number of times she legitimately hated being Fire Lady.


	7. Chapter 7

Katara combed out a tangle in her hair as she reclined on the couch, watching Zuko pace like a caged animal. It had been two days and four hours since they'd last had much time alone to themselves, and the strain was starting to show. For Zuko. Not her. No, she wasn't frustrated at all… Just like she wasn't furious that crew had bothered them with the note from the capitol about the capture of a corrupt councilman. There was nothing they could do about it while they were on a ship in the middle of the ocean.

"Would you stop that?"

Zuko frowned and adjusted himself, blowing out a small puff of steam. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she flashed him a wicked smile.

"This is your fault," he said, pacing again.

"You're damn right it is."

So, she _may_ have teased him a bit on the ride from the docks to the beach house. There had always been something enticing about him, half hard and full of pent up energy. Something that made him wild when he finally got to release it. Katara truly did hate that she'd had to leave him to finish himself last time, and she was determined that, this time, they would both be satisfied.

"Stop pacing," Katara repeated, her voice firm.

Zuko whipped around, clearly ready to challenge her, but she held up her hand as she swung her legs off the couch, making sure her dress fell open a little. She watched Zuko's eyes travel up her legs, watched as he took deep, slow breaths. She beckoned him over, grabbing his pants legs and guiding him to stand between her legs as she scooted to the edge of the couch.

A group of servants passed, laughing and talking and Katara delighted in the panic that flickered across Zuko's face as he tried to back away. She wouldn't deny her own heart was racing, but it was thrilling and exciting. She knew that anyone who saw something inappropriate would immediately apologize and pretend that they hadn't seen anything. She knew that no one would challenge them or tell them to close the door. The only people who would do that would be their family, who wouldn't be joining them on this trip. This house was entirely theirs.

"Katara, what—"

He nearly choked on the next word as she wrapped her mouth around that bulge, holding him so he couldn't move away. She lightly ran her teeth along him, from base to tip, his breath starting to come in short hiccups. She replaced her mouth with her hand, stroking him as she looked directly at him.

"I need you harder," she said quietly, wondering if he could feel her shaking.

"Katara, the door—"

"I will deal with that." She picked a faster rhythm, stroking him harder and watching him struggle to hold in his moans. "You want to please me, right? Make me moan your name?"

Zuko looked up at the ceiling, his cheeks red, and ran his hands through his hair. His attention elsewhere, Katara peered around him to see what was going on outside the room. There was no harm in seeing how far she could push this, right? With a deep breath, she composed herself, putting on a harsh look as she gave him a firm squeeze.

"I asked you a question."

He nodded vigorously.

"I can't hear you. You want to please me, right?"

"Yes. Agni above, woman, _yes_."

Apparently, he thought that meant he was free to do what he wanted. The words were barely out of his mouth before he was trying to pull her up, his hands hot, and Katara let him, just for a bit, just until she was standing, and his hands were on her bottom, pulling her toward him. Pulling moisture from the air, Katara slipped her hand under Zuko's shirt and drug her ice cold fingers down his chest. His eyes closed as he shivered, his grip on her loosening.

"I said nothing about your pleasure," she whispered breathlessly. "Keep your hands to yourself."

She slipped her hand inside his pants, and his body immediately reacted, partly to her, partly to the people walking past the open door again. She held a steady rhythm, not so fast that it would bring him close to climax long before she was ready, but steady enough to stoke the fire in him. Zuko did his best to keep from touching her, struggling as his fingers sometimes grazed her hips, and Katara decided to test him further, circling her thumb around his tip, stroking just those last few inches, needing him just as hard as he'd been two days ago. He took half a step toward her, and she slowly pulled her hand out of his pants, making sure to give him one last, good stroke on her way out before slipping away from him and heading toward the door.

"Katara, wait!"

There was a distinct note of desperation in his voice, and Katara steeled herself against it. She closed the door softly, resting her forehead against the cool wood. When had she gotten so hot? She glanced over her shoulder at Zuko standing there in the middle of the room, clenching and unclenching his hands. She licked her lips and undid her belt, letting the dress fall to the floor, relishing Zuko's smile and his quiet thanks to Agni for her nakedness. She took a deep breath as she arched her back, reaching down to stoke her own fire, letting out a shaky breath as she finally gave herself that friction she desperately needed.

A small thought came unbidden to her mind: how wonderful would it be if she had rope with her. How she could tie him to a chair, blindfold him. She slipped a finger inside of herself, pumping in and out, scratching at the door while Zuko stood there, watching. Wouldn't it be amazing to ride him while he was tied to that chair? She quivered as she inserted a second finger, locking her knees together as she braced herself against the door, pumping into herself until she just needed _more_.

"Take your pants off," she commanded, her voice raspy.

When he did, she motioned to the floor, and Zuko laid down. It took so much willpower not to run over to him, to devour him and taste him, to tease and pleasure him. Instead, she took her time, standing over him, her arms crossed under her breasts and she gave him what she hoped was a stern look. She waited while he took in the sight above him, biting her cheeks and trying not to smile. He gently, almost reverently, ran his hands up the outside of her legs, and she wondered if he felt the same swelling in his heart.

"Do you think you can please me?" she asked quietly.

"I know I can."

"Then we shall see."

She lowered herself, straddling his face, and Zuko didn't need to be told what she wanted him to do, and the moment his mouth was on her, he was working her. He licked her from end to end, grabbing her hips and holding her down as he curled his tongue inside of her, and Katara couldn't stop the whimper as she fell forward, bracing herself against the floor. She ran a hand through his hair, scratching lightly as he did _something_ to her, sending a strong shiver up her spine. He didn't stop her from twitching, letting her squirm and wriggle against his face, and as the shaking started in her arms, he slipped his tongue inside of her again, curling and rolling, and reaching the place she loved so much until she let out a loud moan and ripped herself away from him as her first orgasm hit. Katara fell on the floor next to him, squeezing her legs closed, loving the pressure as her body convulsed. Then stupid, sexy Zuko had to roll over on his side.

"May I please you more?" he asked, his face completely sincere.

Katara nodded, opening her legs to him and grabbing him, guiding him to her, and she grabbed fistfuls of his hair as he absolutely devoured her, and she couldn't find it in her being to care that she was almost yelling as her climax strengthened. She took large hiccupping breaths, rolling against him, afraid that the shaking in her arms would make her rip his hair out, but not wanting to let him go. When the quiver went through her again, she pulled away, not missing Zuko's growled protest. When he came for her to make sure she finished, she grabbed his face.

"I thought I was pleasing you," he said, his face wet with her.

"You are. You'll just be pleasing me a different way, now."

She pushed at him until he understood that she wanted him to lie down again, glad for his cooperation because nearly all the strength in her arms was gone. She stroked him twice before dropping onto him, loving the way he thrust into her, delighting in the way he bit his lip as he struggled not to touch her. She swirled her hips as she helped him out of his shirt, running her hands over his chest and scratching lightly as she whimpered, her muscles contracting around him. Digging her nails into his chest, Katara leaned forward and rode him.

Zuko let out the loudest moan she'd ever heard from him, and she watched as his eyes slipped back in his head. His struggled to be obedient was plain on his face as she worked her hips, slamming down on him, squeezing him and knowing that wanted to grab her ass and ram her. A wicked thought blossomed in her mind, and she leaned forward, never slowing her pace. She kissed his neck and flicked her tongue over his pulse, swirling that spot that turned him to putty and feeling him melting beneath her. She coated her fingers in ice and raked them down his chest, and Zuko rammed into her, pushed deep inside, and she did it again, her whole body shaking with the impact. She grabbed his face again, not caring how hard she was squeezing or that her nails were digging into his cheek.

"I need you to fuck me," she said.

He nodded, taking huge gulps of air. "Are you giving me control?"

"What?"

When he opened his eyes, they were clouded with pleasure, but she couldn't miss the mischievous spark.

"Are you giving me control?"

"Yes."

He waited a few seconds, perhaps giving her time to change her mind, and when she only raised an eyebrow in challenge, he switched their positions, helping her off of him and pulling her hips into the air. He trailed his hot hands down her spine before giving her a hard spank again and again, making her call out, pushing her toward the cliff again, before ramming into her, his thrusts so powerful that she had to brace herself against the couch. It was like there wasn't any buildup to the wave inside of her; three thrusts in, she was standing at the edge of the cliff again, waiting for her second orgasm to overcome her. But she didn't want it just yet, didn't want to be tired out so quickly, she wanted him to keep going, to get out all of his pent up sexual frustration, to just…ram it into her until she felt like he was going to split her in half.

"Katara, be quiet," he said, his hand coming down hard on her again.

She hadn't even been aware of screaming, hadn't been aware of much more than the hurricane brewing inside of her, and she clawed at Zuko's hips, needing him to keep going, to go deeper and harder and faster, and her fingertips were numb, and she was dimly aware of the ceramic pot from one of the plants in the corner shattering, and a great whoosh of heat behind her. Zuko's hand was covering her mouth, almost searing hot, as she arched her back, the angle letting him go deeper and deeper, and he cursed as she bit down on his finger, hot tears falling down her cheeks when she couldn't hold anything in any longer, and her whole body went stiff and limp, numb and hypersensitive and her ears were ringing as she collapsed, and before she hit the floor, Zuko had her hips in a vice, still pumping into her, plowing into the second wave, and she tried to warn him, tried to tell him…what, even? Her mind was too far gone, and she barely felt that second gushing, but the heat behind her fell drastically away.

Katara fell off the couch, landing in a wet spot, her body still convulsing with pleasure. Zuko reached out to her, and as gently as she could, she pushed his hand away.

"Not yet," she stuttered as another convulsion hit.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Zuko laying on his side and watching her, looking very happy. It took something like ten minutes for her to come down from the high, and when she finally did, Zuko was resting with his back against the couch. She crawled over to him and laid her head on his leg, struggling to raise her hand and trace the bright red scratches on his chest. She touched one and he recoiled.

"Do you need anything?" she asked, surprised at how sore her throat was.

Zuko was quiet as he thought, twisting a lock of her hair around his finger. With a satisfied sigh, he shook his head, and she gingerly touched the bright red half moon on his cheek. Sitting up, she kissed that mark, then all the others she made along his chest, being as gentle as she had ever been, whispering to each one that she promised to heal it and then seal it with a kiss. Then she combed the tangles out of his hair with her fingers and helped him into his clothes.

When she was done, he did the same for her, kissing her hips and her back, and each butt cheek, apologizing for being so rough and hurting them. Promising her a pleasantly warm massage whenever she wanted it. He helped her into her dress, tying the sash around her waist just enough that it would keep her covered, but not too tight to hurt her. He kissed her forehead and her nose, then stepped behind her to braid her hair. Katara couldn't help giggling, imagining Zuko being very focused as he tried to make her look presentable.

"What?" There was a light laugh in his voice. "I'm not doing too badly."

"Thank you for doing it."

Hi kissed her temple, and when they both decided they were presentable, they opened the door and peeked around the corner. The house was silent save for the chirping birds outside, which suited them just fine. Katara wrapped her arm around Zuko's waist and they slowly made their way to their room where she would run them a nice, warm bath.

She couldn't wait for the rest of their vacation.


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you warm enough?"

Sunrises on Ember Island were an absolutely beautiful thing, even more so when you watched them with a relaxing cup of tea, cuddled up next to someone you'd give your life to save. She snuggled closer to Zuko, melting into his warmth as a cool breeze ruffled the blanket they were sitting on. She couldn't help remembering similar mornings so many years ago when they were such different people. When they were hiding out during the war, she'd found out that Zuko would sneak down to the beach to watch the sunrise, and she'd started joining him. They never talked at first, but slowly, they'd started to share more and more of themselves. It would always hold a special place in her heart. Katara took a deep, shaky breath.

Ember Island was like falling in love all over again.

They didn't say anything as the sky started to lighten, and finally, colors started to seep into the water. Katara didn't bother trying to hide her smile; it was like the water was on fire. Every day, twice a day, they watched the sun meet the water, sometimes doing sun and moon meditations, and she swore she'd never felt so close to anyone. Even now, Katara imagined she could feel Zuko's heart beating in time with hers. It was silly, but the image made her happy, so what did it matter? Zuko hummed a song she recognized from one of Iroh's music nights as the sun crested the horizon, it's reflection shifting and shimmering in the water. Faintly they could hear bells ringing from the docks, signaling the start of the day. Soon, the resort island would be bustling with people, but at the Fire Lord's beach house, isolated on their private beach, she and Zuko wouldn't have to see a soul, not unless they wanted to.

"You're beautiful," Zuko whispered.

Katara turned a little and saw that he wasn't even watching the sunrise. He had the softest smile, and she shivered as a chill went up her spine. Gently, she traced the outline of his scar, ghosting her fingers across his brow bone, and over his burned ear. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, sighing softly. Heart racing like it was her first time again, she leaned in, gently touching her lips to his. Immediately, she felt him smile, and she shifted, turning in his arms so that she fully faced him, caressing his cheek as he pulled her closer. Their kiss was gentle, but no less passionate, full of love and compassion. When they finally pulled apart, they were both breathless, and giddy, smiling so hard their faces hurt.

"So," Katara said, "What do you want to do today?"

Zuko kissed her forehead, "I'm happy doing to same thing we've been doing for the past few weeks."

Giggling and curling up in his warm embrace, Katara nodded. She would be more than fine not changing their routine, either. They settled in again, staying on the beach long after the sun had risen, long after they'd drunk all the tea, just enjoying each other's company and not talking. Katara took Zuko's arms and wrapped them tighter around her, and he gave her a big squeeze, and she kissed his cheek. After a few minutes, he started to hum, and Katara found herself drifting off to sleep again, the warming sun on her face, more content than she could remember being for a very long time.

That night, she made them an elaborate dinner, after dragging Zuko out to the market to shop for ingredients. They chatted about nonsense things while they cooked, Zuko being a very good helper and chopping things up and not eating too many ingredients, and fetching things from high shelves and bringing up two bottles of good wine and a fantastic whiskey from the cellars.

"That should do it," Katara said, setting out the last of their food and putting her hands on her hips. "I haven't done this since we were kids."

Zuko poured them two glasses of wine. "You're wonderful at it. It looks delicious."

Such a simple compliment. That didn't mean her heart fluttered any less.

After they'd finished dinner, both bottles of wine and started in on the whiskey, there was a very different reason her heart fluttered.

"I'll give you this round."

"I want your shirt."

Grunting, Zuko put down his cards and pulled his shirt over his head. Katara took another sip of her whiskey as he tossed his shirt into the very small pile of clothes next to her, then ran his hands through his hair before picking up his cards again. She licked her lips. It didn't matter that she was losing this game, that Zuko still had his pants and underwear, and she was in just her upper wrappings. It was raining lightly outside, and her fingertips were tingly, dinner had been delicious, and the house was empty. There was little more she could want.

"What are you smiling about?" Zuko asked, a wicked smile on his face as he started listing to one side. "You're terrible at this game. Now give me my shirt back."

He laid out three matching cards, motioning for her to toss his shirt back. She did with a laugh.

" _That's_ what you want back?" She leaned forward more than necessary to pour whiskey in his glass, making sure he saw her cleavage.

"Don't worry, I'm saving the best for last."

He downed the whiskey, and gestured for her to make her move. At this point, there was no way she'd win the game, so it wasn't really worth trying. Instead, she decided to pester her husband, leaning back against the pillows and tossing her hair over her shoulder as she pretended to study her cards. She stretched her legs out in front of her, peeking over her cards to see Zuko watching her. Katara stretched again as she shuffled her cards, picking the worst possible pair and dropping them on the pile. She didn't even wait for Zuko to see them, removing her last items of clothing and dropping it into his pile.

"Are…are you forfeiting?"

Katara crossed her arms. "My eyes are up here, Zuko."

She held her arms open to him, and he crawled over to her, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling her, holding her close as he laid down among the pillows. He kissed her forehead and her cheeks, the tip of her nose, the her lips. His mouth was warm against hers, and Katara sighed against him as he ran his fingers through her hair. His every touch was loving and gentle as he traced the curve of her hip before shifting their positions and pulling her on top of him.

"Promise me that when we go back to the palace, things won't change between us," he said, his words slurred.

"What do you mean?"

She traced his lightning scar, loving the way he still shivered after all these years, the way he closed his eyes and completely relaxed around her.

"Promise me you'll still dominate me. That you'll let me dominate you." He punctuated each word with a kiss. "Promise me that you'll still love me the same."

Smiling, Katara leaned down and kissed him, caressing his cheeks, delighting in the way his hands roamed over her body. It was very much like their early days, when they just couldn't get enough of each other, and every night they found ways to be close and just touch. To reaffirm that, yes, they were together, and it wasn't a dream.

"Of course," Katara said. "I give you my word. So long as you promise me the same."

It was silly and cheesy, but they were drunk and in love, and there was no one to tell them how sickeningly sweet they were being. Zuko's smile was all the affirmation she needed, and when he whispered "on my honor," then kissed her again, she poured every ounce of love and passion she had into it, her heart thudding in her throat as his hot hands trailed down her spine. He kissed down her neck, taking his time, making sure she felt each kiss until her nipple was in his mouth, and she shuddered, holding him closer as he sucked and flicked his tongue, lightly scratching his shoulder. She tossed her head back as he took the other in his mouth, and moaned his name as he slipped his hand between her legs, rubbing slow circles with heated fingers. Her hips jerked, and she pressed herself against his delightfully warm body as her mind swam, and she thought she was falling as Zuko gently laid her against the pillows.

He hovered over her, squinting as if he was seeing her for the first time.

"I love you," he said, his voice quiet and trembling slightly. "With everything in me, I love you."

Maybe it was the two bottles of wine and the one of whiskey they'd finished off that was making her arms shake. Maybe it was the sincerity in his voice, or the lump in her throat that made it impossible for her to respond. Instead she kissed his neck and tugged at his pants, loving his every sigh, and when he entered her, slowly, as if he was savoring her, she felt bliss. His thrusts sent her eyes back in her head, and she scratched his back as he pushed deeper and deeper inside of her. Her moans were more like quiet whimpers until he started to bite her shoulder, and it felt like her fingertips and toes were on fire. She arched into him, her muscles clenching around him, delighting in the way he moaned her name as his arms shook.

Licking her lips, Katara pushed against Zuko's shoulder until he moved, climbing on top of him, resting her hands on his chest. Smirking, Zuko grabbed her hips as she started moving against him, and she could feel the tremors run through his body as she picked a faster pace, watched as his eyes slipped close, as he completely gave himself to her. And she rewarded him. The smile went away as she leaned forward, bracing herself against the floor and rode him, his hands gripping her hips tightly as she slammed down on him. He groaned as she clenched around him, and his breath started to come on short hiccups when she sucked and flicked her tongue across his neck. He shivered and bucked, his cheeks getting red when he started to whimper her name as she swirled her hips in just the way that drove him mad.

She could feel her own release coming, tugging at his hips and needing him to push her closer to the edge, and he obliged, grabbing her hips and ramming into her, the shockwave going through her whole body as the quiver started. She could feel it in her core, her eyes rolling back in her head as her muscles tensed. Zuko switched their positions again, throwing her leg over his shoulder as he grabbed her, pushing deeper, deeper, deeper, his whole body shaking as his release came and he collapsed on top of her.

"Sorry," he stuttered, laughing as he reached down to finish her.

He kissed her neck, his fingers entering her, and Katara felt light and giddy as the coil tightened in her stomach. The laughter built and bubbled over as the convulsions started, and she couldn't control what her body was doing, and Zuko just smiled at her as he pinned her hips down, even as she tried to push up into him, squeezing her legs closed. Giggling and moaning, she reached out for Zuko and he held her close, his back against the couch, as she rode the wave, laughing and twitching until her body finally settled down.

She pat his face a few times, and he kissed her palm, then they just sat there, entwined in each other's arms, not saying anything. Zuko yawned as he squeezed her to him.

"I guess we should go to bed," he said quietly.

Katara nodded sleepily, burrowing into him. With a light laugh, Zuko stood and carried her to the bedroom, gently laying her down before climbing in after her. Smiling, she brushed the hair away from his face. She didn't hear the last words he said to her as she drifted off to sleep, but she felt his gentle kiss on her forehead, and his arms around her, and that was enough.

* * *

A/N: I feel like I should give a warning that there's only one more chapter left :(


	9. Chapter 9

Ember Island was like falling in love all over again.

Their vacation had come and gone several months ago. The moment their ship docked in the capitol, the responsibility of being Fire Lord and Fire Lady rushed back to them. Attendants were waiting for them with updates and checklists and agendas. Councilors were already lined up outside, vying for their attention. They barely had time for a quick kiss before they were pulled in two directions.

For the first time, Katara didn't even care.

Over the next few months, they held meetings and a trial, organized festivals and food drives. They met with citizens in the colonies, negotiated taxes, watched too many school performances and had to smile through them all, even the bad ones. Many nights, one of them would get to bed long after the other, but the late night cuddles were always plentiful. Even in her deepest sleep, she could always hear a quiet voice whispering love to her. It wasn't until six months in that their workload started to slow, and they were finally able to enjoy more time to themselves again.

Katara sighed happily as she stepped into the bedroom, closing the door behind her and putting an end to the day. Her days might be long, and more often than not, she might collapse into bed, barely able to change her clothes, but she always felt satisfied with her work. Inch by inch, she and Zuko were changing the Fire Nation for the better, and whenever they went to the capitol's market, or visited other islands or travelled to the colonies, they always saw more than just red. There were reds and greens, occasionally some blues. Slowly, the world was starting to come together, and for that, Katara felt extremely proud.

"Zuko?"

She kicked off her shoes as she walked around their suite, looking for her husband. She sighed when she didn't find him, figuring he'd make it to bed eventually, and headed to the bathroom to run herself a steaming bath. Autumn in the Fire Nation was one of her favorite things; she loved the cool breezes and the bright sun. While her bath ran, she opened the windows, inviting in the cool night air. Then she snuck a little of Zuko's bath stuff, peering around the corner to make sure he hadn't come in. She giggled to herself as she poured the oils in, and the room was filled with the scent of him. It was woody and a little spicy, and it always reminded her of a good fire. She wrapped her arms around herself in the heat of the room, and it felt as if Zuko was all around her. She slowly stepped into the bath, feeling the warmth she'd always associated with him creeping up her body, sighing as it touched her thighs and her stomach, soothing her muscles, and easing the tension out. She sunk lower, the water almost too hot, recalling to mind other times that she'd felt something, or someone, this hot and this close to her. When she was submerged to her chin, she leaned back against the edge of the tub and closed her eyes, running her hands up her legs as she thought about her wonderful, delightful firebender.

Faintly, she heard someone yelling about snacks and not using all their bath stuff, but Katara was blissfully in some state between wakefulness and sleep. It wasn't until all the warmth had seeped out of the bath and the breeze became too cold that she finally stepped out. Sighing contentedly, Katara wrapped a fluffy towel around herself and exited the bathroom.

"Did you fall asleep in the bath again?"

Zuko was waiting for her, sitting on the floor in his pajamas with his back against the couch with a bottle of wine and a platter of snacks next to him. His words were a little slurred, but his smile was brilliant, and when he held his arms open, she went to him. Zuko tugged on her towel until she let it go, running his hands along her legs. Katara sighed deeply, closing her eyes as she remembered the caressing warmth of her bath, and she nearly jumped when he kissed the inside of her thigh.

"Someone's frisky," she said, smoothing back his hair.

He kissed further up her thigh, his lips hot, and Katara took deep breaths to steady herself. Golden eyes looked up at her, slightly unfocused, but loving. Eager.

"How much of the wine did you have?"

"Half a bottle," Zuko said, his mouth on her leg. "I was trying to wait for you, but you took forever. And you used my bath stuff."

Katara shrugged, tracing the edges of Zuko's scar. She followed the curve of his ear, trailing her fingers along his jaw, cupping his chin and tilting his face toward her. She swore she didn't shiver when he licked his lips. She swore she didn't feel a tingle in the pit of her stomach when his hot fingers gripped her harder.

"You shouldn't have left me alone for so long," she said breathlessly.

"I'm sorry," Zuko said quietly, with every ounce of sincerity. "What can I do to make up for it?"

Her heart was thudding in her chest as she smiled at him. Zuko kissed up her leg from her knee to her hip. He pulled her forward a little more, her legs already shaky as he put his mouth on her, her eyes rolling back as he flicked his tongue across that bud before licking her, long and slow.

"Does this please my queen?"

Katara nodded vigorously, her whole body on fire. "It does."

He kissed her again, his lips hot against her, his tongue slipping out to part her as he moaned appreciatively. He swirled his tongue around her opening, once, twice, then reached deep inside of her, searching for all the right spots, as her knees buckled. Zuko's hands were firm at her hips as he held her over his face as he sucked. An icy shiver ran down her spine, and Katara braced herself against the couch, whimpering as his heated tongue probed deeper, touching something inside of her that made the pleasure coil in the pit of her stomach. She whispered his name, begged him for more, and he obliged, slipping a finger inside of her, curling it as he sucked on her, and Katara felt that she was going to lose her mind as the tension built, and when he slipped in a second finger and his tongue, something exploded in her mind, and she cried out, ripping herself away from him.

Maybe it was the wine. Maybe it was six months with minimal contact. Maybe he just needed her that badly. Katara collapsed quivering and shaking on the couch, her muscles tightening painfully, barely aware of Zuko's warmth shifting around her. The next thing she knew, she was being tossed over his shoulder as he marched toward their bed.

"Zuko, what—"

"You told me to please you," he said, his voice deep with lust.

Zuko tossed her down on the bed, and the moment she hit the mattress, he was on her again, and it was as if the wave had never receded. Zuko pinned her hips down to the mattress, even though she moaned and twisted and turned, grabbing a chunk of his hair, wanting to get out of his grasp to escape the pleasure at the same time that she wanted him to make it so intense it bordered on pain. Already, he was a furnace between her legs, and she arched her back, moaning loudly as she tore at the sheets as he kissed his way up her body, swirling his tongue around first one nipple, then the other, his fingers stroking deep places within her. With every thrust of his fingers, he rocked his whole body against hers, and she could feel him incredibly hard, rubbing against her thigh.

When he kissed her, she could taste herself on his tongue, and her taste mixed with the faint taste of ash, and Katara smiled into the kiss, knowing that he'd be spitting fire, soon. His own breath was ragged as he moved his fingers faster, his hips bucking against her, and Katara desperately wanted him out of his pants, but his arms were jelly, and she could feel her first orgasm cresting as she raked her nails down his back. Zuko stifled the scream, biting her shoulder as her muscles clenched around his fingers, and she didn't want him to stop moving his fingers inside of her, rolling her hips into his hand until he got the hint and helped her ride the crest of the wave.

"I need you," Zuko whispered hoarsely. "Agni above, I need you."

Three times Katara tried to proper herself up on quivering arms, and finally she fell, laughing, her body still shaking. She grabbed a fistful of Zuko's hair and pulled him down for a kiss, wrapping her leg around his hip and tugging at the belt to his pants.

"Please me," she said when she finally broke the kiss. "Please your queen."

Katara didn't think she'd ever seen him get rid of his pants so quickly, and when she opened her arms to him, still smiling and giddy from her first orgasm, he came to her, positioning himself between her legs. He kissed her, and the ashes were thicker on his tongue, and she whimpered into his mouth as he rubbed against her. He pushed into her just a little before pulling out, teasing her, making her reach for him, and Katara did this eagerly, rocking her hips to meet his, digging her nails into his side as he slid inside of her. Zuko shivered on top of her, resting his forehead on the bed beside her, and she could hear his breath coming in ragged gasps as he whispered her name, slowly starting to move, in and out. She kissed Zuko's neck, circling his sensitive spots with her tongue, and he collapsed on top of her. Katara grabbed his hips and encouraged him to move, and he did, grunting with each thrust, her eyes rolling back in her head as he moved faster and faster, pushing deep into her. Zuko was getting hotter against her, and he struggled to swallow his fire and not set both them and the bed on fire.

"Give me your fire," Katara whispered in his ear.

Zuko let out a low moan, whispering that she'd be the death of him as he gripped her hip painfully hard. She smiled, kissing his neck as she ran her fingers down his spine, pushing him closer to the edge, determined to draw the fire out of him. She shoved at his shoulder until he shifted their positions, and Katara kissed her way down his body, delighting in every twitch, every light moan, and her biggest reward was his smirk when she took him in her mouth. She swallowed all of him, holding his hips down as she worked him, first with just her mouth, and then with her hand, circling his tip with her tongue, watching as one eye rolled back in his head and he clawed at the sheets. She watched his muscles twitch as he tried to escape the pleasure, but Katara held him prisoner, and wouldn't let him go.

When he stuttered he name and reached for her, Katara mounted him, and he broke.

Zuko coughed bursts of brilliant red flame as Katara swirled her hips, moving up and down as she clawed at his chest. She loved the way he thrust into her, completely feeling her, and the harder he pushed, the closer he brought her to the edge. She pinned his arms above his head, leaning forward and slamming her hips down against his until she could feel the water stirring inside of her, and Katara did everything she could to hold it back, to build a damn in her mind that would keep her from getting too close to the edge, but her concentration was broken when Zuko spanked her hard, grabbing her hips and crashing into her. Her arms gave out, and she fell forward, and his heat was almost suffocating.

It started with a tingling at the crown of her head, spreading through her scalp and down her spine. She collapsed, her fingers twitching when it hit her shoulders, and by the time it reached her spine, the light had exploded behind her eyes, and all she could do was breathe in shallow hiccupping breaths, and she could barely feel Zuko reaching down to rub her, could barely feel the fire explode out of Zuko, could barely feel the water gush out of her. When the tremor hit her hips, Katara felt the tears stinging her eyes, and she didn't have the strength to hold them back, and she just let them fall, finding comfort in the release. Warmth surrounded her, gently caressing her body, and Katara melted into Zuko and his kisses.

"I love you," he said, his voice raw. "I love you."

Katara nodded and smiled, too tired to speak just yet, instead kissing every inch of his scar, holding his face in her hands. When the tears started again, Zuko wiped them away, his touch more gentle than she'd ever felt it. He kissed her eyelids and held her close as he pulled the blankets around them. He kissed her shoulder and snuggled up to her.

"My life is so much better with you," Katara whispered.

It was cute the way he gasped and looked surprised, as if he'd never expected those words. As if after all these years, he didn't expect someone to say that about him. Katara couldn't help laughing a little as she pulled him close for another kiss.

"You shouldn't still be surprised by that," she whispered.

Zuko shrugged. "I'll always be surprised that we ended up here. I'll always be incredibly happy that we ended up here."

Katara yawned as fatigue settled in, and she squeezed Zuko as hard as she could, wondering if it would be possible to physically merge with him more than she already had.

"I love you," she whispered into his chest.

Zuko kissed the top of her head. "I love you, too."

* * *

A/N: And there we have the end! An anon asked about this story and fitting in with the little universe I created with all my stories/headcanon. This one exists outside of that little universe. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and comments you've left me!


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